Curves was previously owned by Irene Delaney who ran the Liverpool location for the past eight years. Earlier this year she made the difficult decision to shut down the business at the end of August, unless a buyer could be found.
Ron says a lot of their decision to take over had to do with wife Rose, who has been going to Curves nearly since the beginning of the club. He added they both enjoy keeping fit as well.
“We thought this was going to be a good business venture,” he says.
While the membership is on the low side at the moment, Ron says they both see a lot of potential in the business as well. However it was the members themselves that convinced Ron it was worth pursuing.
“They really made me think about it. (Rose) kept coming home and giving me ideas on how all these people were committed,” he says.
“I don’t think anyone really wanted it to close,” says Rose. “For a lot of them it brought back their health.”
The Anthony’s say they’ve been making a few changes to begin with, such as keeping the gym open from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m., as well as hiring a few more employees.
“That helps the school teachers and people at the hospital to try it out,” says Rose.
They have other ideas for the future as well, but first they want to be sure it is something the membership will be interested in first. Familiar programs such as the weight maintenance program and Zumba workouts will continue as well.
And of course the gym will still be for women only, “expect for the guy coming in to do the paperwork” Rose says with a laugh.
The Anthony’s are familiar faces in Queens County, running Ron’s Trophy and Sign Shop in Milton and formerly Ron’s Chainsaw in Liverpool. They bring with them more than 30 years worth of business experience to the Curves gym. The trophy shop will continue to stay in business, with Ron looking after the management side of the gym and Rose taking care of the day to day operations.
With the change in ownership, the Anthony’s hope it will bring with it renewed interest in the club. They have plenty of plans in the works as well, such as a free trial week, and for the month of September waiving the $99 startup fee for a one-year membership. They are also looking into organizing tours for businesses and organizations, to showcase the gym to a group of people.
“A lot of people want to do it, but have never been in the door and don’t even know what it looks like,” says Ron.
Rose adds it can be intimidating for someone to go into the gym on their own.
“We’re trying to promote the buddy system, to bring a friend with you,” she says.
Since the announcement was made, there has been plenty of positive feedback coming from the community as well.
Susan MacLeod, a long time member, says the membership is thrilled the business has been bought, adding that having a local person take over is a bonus.
“There are a lot of loyal members who just felt that having a local buyer would give it a pleasant atmosphere.”
